Permanently redact text and images in a PDF
Draw boxes over sensitive text and we rasterize the page so the underlying content is genuinely removed. Free, in-browser.
Files are processed entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded to any server.
About this tool
Covering sensitive content with a black rectangle in a PDF editor is not the same as removing it. If the original text layer is still present under the box, anyone can select the covered area and copy the text out. True redaction requires that the underlying content be eliminated entirely. Redact PDF burns the selected regions into the page image using rasterization, so a copy-and-paste attack returns nothing.
To redact, open the PDF and drag rectangles over every region you want to remove — names, account numbers, addresses, signatures, or images. The boxes are previewed as grey overlays so you can confirm exactly what is covered before you commit. Once you click Apply, the affected pages are rasterized and the source content is gone. The resulting PDF also has its document metadata stripped.
Common use cases include preparing legal filings, sharing medical records with identifying information removed, publishing financial documents with account details hidden, and distributing contracts with third-party terms obscured. The entire redaction process runs in your browser, so the sensitive original content is never transmitted anywhere.
How it works
- 1
Open the PDF
Drop or pick the file.
- 2
Draw redaction boxes
Drag rectangles over text or images you want removed.
- 3
Apply & download
We rasterize the affected pages so the data is gone — not just covered.
Frequently asked questions
Will a black box really hide my data?
Can I redact entire pages?
Are files uploaded?
Will metadata still leak info?
Can I undo before downloading?
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Embed this tool
Let your visitors use Redact PDF without leaving your site. Paste the snippet below into any HTML page. Files stay private — everything runs in the visitor's browser.
<iframe
src="https://pdfwox.com/embed/redact-pdf"
width="100%"
height="600"
style="border:none;border-radius:8px"
title="redact-pdf tool"
allow="downloads"
loading="lazy"
></iframe>
<script>
window.addEventListener('message',function(e){
if(e.data&&e.data.type==='privpdf-resize'){
var f=document.querySelector('iframe[src="https://pdfwox.com/embed/redact-pdf"]');
if(f)f.style.height=e.data.height+'px';
}
});
</script>The embed runs entirely in the visitor's browser — no files are uploaded. The iframe resizes automatically to fit its content via postMessage.
Deeper guide